Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Project Portfolio

Degree Name

Doctor of Ministry (DMin)

Department

Seminary

First Advisor

Robin Pyles, DMin

Second Advisor

Darcy Hansen, DMin

Third Advisor

MaryKate Morse, PhD

Abstract

Adverse religious experiences cause spiritual, emotional, and relational wounds. Research on spiritual harm locates its origins in the misuse of power. High-control religious environments are preoccupied with authority, submission, silencing dissent, and shaming those who question or doubt. Clearly, the nature of leadership is key in addressing and preventing harm. Spiritually safe leaders empower people, lead with humility, seek feedback, and take accountability for mistakes. Research on the role of clergy reveals complex roles, relentless demands, burnout, and the impact of secondary trauma on clergy well-being. Additionally, clergy are often expected to operate beyond their areas of competence and report feeling isolated. Many pastors operate in contexts that impede optimal functioning. At the intersection of literature on harm and clergy roles were stakeholders recovering from adverse religious experiences who maintained hope in the value of healthy spiritual communities and expressed a desire for a program to prevent harm.

I am a psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of trauma and adversity. After witnessing the impact of spiritual harm among clients, I wrote my first book as a resource for pastors and others accompanying people experiencing life’s challenges. My second book was written to help readers wounded by the church re-engage Scripture in healing ways. The project process reinforced my interest in serving as a resource for church leaders.

In response to the challenge of preventing harm and equipping pastors for their sacred calling, I created Renewed: A Journey Toward Resilient and Relational Leadership, a year-long, cohort-based experience for pastors designed to develop the attributes of spiritually safe leaders, thereby equipping participants to cultivate spiritually safe communities. A carefully sequenced curriculum progresses from relational safety and self-regulation through role complexity, relational challenges, stress adaptations, loss, trauma, shame, and power, emphasizing integration through reflective and experiential learning.

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